Press Bulletin No. 177.
3-21-09-3000
.
Kansas State Agricultural College
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cumen on
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Histori ural Experiment Stati
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Kans
EXPERIMENT STATION
VETERINARY DEPARTMENT
Swamp Fever or Infectious Anemia of Horses
Diagnoses. —It is quite easy to recThis disease has caused considerable loss in the last three years in the ognize the trouble, especially in the
southeastern and central portions of advanced stages. The Slow progress
Kansas, and is still present in some at the beginning, remittent fever, prosections. It seems to be most preva- gressive emaciation and anemia, unlent during wet seasons, in low lying, impaired or ravenous appetite, stagbadly drained sections, and during the gering gait, and excessive urination
summer months.
are usually all present to a greater
The cause of the disease as given by
or less degree.
Dr. John R. Mohler, Chief of the
Prognosis . — Is very unfavorable,
Pathological Division of the Bureau death occurring in from 60 to 80 per
of Animal Industry at Washington, cent of the cases. Recovery takes
is as follows:
place only when treatment is begun
“It has been conclusively proven early and when the disease is not too
that infectious anemia is produced by
acute.
an invisible, filterable organism which
Treatment . — Is not satisfactory.
is transmissible to horses, mules and Absolute rest until fully recovered is
asses by subcutaneous inoculation of one of the primary requisites, and
blood serum. The virus which is pres- purgatives are to be avoided. For
ent in the blood may be transmitted to the fever the B. A. I. recommends an
a number of equines in a series of in- antipyretic of quinine 40 grains, acetoculations by injecting either the anilid 2 drams, and powdered nux
whole blood, the defibrinated blood,
vomica 30 grains, four times daily.
or the blood serum which has been Cold water sponge baths and frequent
passed through a fine Pasteur filter, copious rectal injections of cold water
thus eliminating all the visible forms also aid in reducing the fever. After
of organismal life, including bacteria, the fever subsides the following is
trypanosoma, piroplasma, etc. This recommended:
Grams.
virus has also been found to be active
“Arsenious acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
in the carcass of an affected animal
Powdered nux vomica . . . . . . . . . . 28
Powdered cinchona bark . . . . . . . 85
twenty-four hours after death. (See page 2.)
Powdered gentian root . . . . . . . . . . 110
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“Following the injection of the infectious principle there is a period of
incubation which may extend from ten
days to one and one-half months, at
the end of which time the onset of the
disease is manifested by a rise of
temperature. If uncomplicated, the
infection runs a chronic course, terminating in death in from two months
to one and one-half years, or even
longer. The probability of the virus
being spread by an intermediate host,
such as flies, mosquitoes, internal
parasites, etc., is now receiving careful investigation,”
Symptoms. — About the first symptoms noticed are a general weakness
of the animal, it tires very easily and
is not able to do any work. The loss
of flesh is apparent in spite of the
voracious appetite which the animal
has at times. The appetite usually
remains good until death, but the feed
seems to do the animal no good. The
temperature is very irregular. Some
days it runs quite high, at times to 107
degrees; again it is below normal. It
frequently remains high toward the
end of the disease. An animal may
have several attacks of the trouble,
but each succeeding attack seems to
be more severe.
The blood becomes thin and the circulation impaired, and frequently
there appears a swelling under the
chest or abdomen or an enlargement
of one or more legs.
(See page 1.)
Approved:
E D . H WE B S T E R,
Director.
M ANHATTAN , KAN., March 22, 1909.
“These should be well mixed and
one-half tablespoonful given at each
feed to the affected animal.
“As in the case of all other infectious diseases, the healthy should be
separated from the sick horses, and
thorough disinfection of the infected
stable, stalls, litter and stable utensils should be carried out in order to
prevent the recurrence of the disease.
As a disinfectant the compound solution of cresol, carbolic acid or chlorid
of lime may be used by mixing six
ounces of any one of these chemicals
with one gallon of water. One of the
approved coal-tar sheep-dips might
also be used to advantage in a five
per cent solution (six ounces of dip to
one gallon of water). The disinfectant solution should be applied liberally to all parts of the stable, and
sufficient lime may be added to the
solution to make the disinfectant area
conspicuous.”
Precautions. —From the fact that the
disease is more prevalent during wet
seasons, it is always best to guard
against allowing the animals to graze
upon swampy lands or to drink from
ponds of stagnant water. The spread
of the disease has been traced along
creeks from one farm to another,
which would suggest avoiding these
places also. The draining of low,
swampy lands is especially recommended.
F. S. SC H O E N L E B E R ,
Veterinarian.